1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to a plasma display panel in which a light emitting region is selected by an address electrode and display is performed by making use of gas discharge between a pair of sustain electrodes. In particular, it relates to a plasma display panel having the address electrodes of improved structure.
2. Description of Related Art
A prior art plasma display panel of this kind is disclosed by Japanese Unexamined Patent Publication No. 2001-126629. Explanation thereof is given below with reference to FIGS. 8(A), 8(B) and 8(C). FIG. 8(A) is a view illustrating positional relationship between sustain electrodes and address electrodes in the prior art plasma display panel and FIGS. 8(B) and 8(C) are sectional views taken along the lines b—b and c—c in FIG. 8(A) and observed in the direction of the arrows, respectively.
Referring to these figures, the prior art plasma display panel includes a plurality of second sustain electrodes 113 for selecting lines, a plurality of first sustain electrodes 114 and a plurality of address electrodes for selecting lines. Discharge space is divided in a column direction by almost linear-shaped ribs 224 to extend over the whole length of the screen. Further, in a region between adjacent ribs 224, the address electrode 222 is patterned to overlap the first sustain electrode 114 in a smaller area than a metal film 113a of the second sustain electrode 113.
Since the shape or the position of the address electrode 222 is selected with a view of reducing an area in which the address electrode 222 overlaps the first sustain electrode 114 which is unrelated to the line selection via the discharge space, an area in which the address electrode 222 overlaps the second sustain electrode 113 which is used for line selection is sufficiently increased. Therefore, address discharge is localized in the overlapping region of the address electrode 222 and the second sustain electrode 113, which ensures the reliability of the address discharge.
Another prior art plasma display panel is disclosed by Japanese Unexamined Patent Publication No. HEI 4 (1992)-58437. Explanation thereof is given below with reference to FIG. 9. FIG. 9 is a perspective view partially illustrating the prior art plasma display panel.
Referring to FIG. 9, the plasma display panel includes a plurality of unit light emitting regions P including a fluorescent material 225 for selectively emitting light by discharge, a plurality of sustain electrode pairs 110 each including a second sustain electrode 113 and a first sustain electrode 114 and being arranged parallel to each other and address electrodes 222 crossing the sustain electrode pairs 110. The second and first sustain electrodes 113 and 114 cause surface discharge in a narrow region along their extending direction to constitute the unit light emitting region P and the address electrode 222 is divided in two or more in each unit light emitting region P.
In the plasma display panel thus constructed, the second sustain electrode 113 of the sustain electrode pair 110 extending along a longitudinal center line of the unit light emitting region P intersects, via the discharge space, with two address electrodes 222 which are commonly connected, thereby defining select discharge cells WC at the intersections. That is, the two select discharge cells WC control discharge caused in sustain discharge cells SC defined at the intersections of the two address electrodes 222 and the second and first sustain electrodes 113 and 114. Accordingly, a single select discharge cell WC takes charge of discharge control in about a half area of the unit light emitting region P, which allows reliable control of the light emission from the fluorescent material 225 corresponding to the unit light emitting region P.
Since the former plasma display panel according to the prior art is constructed as described above, expansion of address discharge in the column direction in the selected line is inhibited so that a charged region of the address electrode 222 is narrowed. However, due to the address discharge, a potential level of the address electrode 222 in an adjacent unit light emitting region P decreases. Therefore, addressing of the adjacent unit light emitting region P cannot be performed with reliability.
On the other hand, in the latter plasma display panel according to the prior art, the address electrode 222 is divided in two or more in each unit light emitting region P as described above. However, an interval between the divided address electrodes 222 is small. As a result, all the divided address electrodes 222 are charged upon causing address discharge between the second sustain electrode 113 and one of the address electrodes 222. Therefore, in the same manner as the former plasma display panel according to the prior art, a potential level of the address electrode 222 in an adjacent unit light emitting region P decreases and precise addressing of the adjacent unit light emitting region P cannot be performed.